Current measurements collected at three moorings deployed across the Chukchi continental slope west of the Chukchi Rise in the Chukchi Borderland region to measure the Arctic Ocean boundary current, August - September 2002 (NODC Accession 0002693)

A 35-day NSF-sponsored cruise aboard the USCGC Polar Star has studied in depth the physical oceanography of the Chukchi Borderland and Mendeleev Ridge regions. An extensive hydrographic survey (126 CTD casts) was conducted. In addition to CTD profiles of temperature, conductivity, oxygen, and light scatter and L-ADCP profiles of water velocity, bottle samples were taken for nutrients (2662 samples), dissolved oxygen (2999 samples), salinity (3066 samples) and tracers CFCs (F11, F12, F113, ca. 2500 samples), O18 isotopes (ca.1000 samples), Barium (ca.1000 samples), Helium (ca.108 samples), Iodine-129 (96 samples) and Cesium-137 (27 samples). Twenty-one denitrification (N:Ar ratio) samples were also taken. A total of 47 XBTs were used both to increase spatial coverage over the shelf and to increase spatial resolution in the slope regions. To better map the boundary current regime, 3 oceanographic moorings carrying current meters and temperature and salinity sensors were deployed across the boundary current for the ca. 1 month duration of the cruise.
During the cruise, via a website of daily updates from a High School teacher aboard the Polar Star and visits to schools in Barrow, we brought Arctic research into the classroom. Post-cruise a multi-institute team of scientists will study this extensive data set, with reference to previous (sparse) measurements, Canadian measurements taken this year in the Canadian Basin and near Northwind Ridge, and modeling results, to understand the role of this Arctic Crossroads in the circulation of the Arctic Ocean.